The present invention concerns a message synthetizer, that is a device which after having been triggered by an action delivers a message obtained by playing back a number of recordings put together by a program device from a stock of such recordings.
Already there is known a time announcement device in telephone exchanges having recordings corresponding to the time in question among recordings corresponding to all during a 24 hours day present hour announcements, all during an hour present minute announcements, and announcements corresponding to every 10 seconds during a minute. These recorded announcements are played back to such an extent that corresponds to an hour announcement, a minute announcement and a 10 second announcement.
In this previously known case it is the question of an announcement with rigorous conformity as there is always an hour announcement, in genuine sequence, a minute announcement in genuine sequence and a second announcement in genuine decade second announcement.
The present invention concerns a message synthetizer of such a kind that with a number of recordings as a starting point said synthetizer forms a message by using a from, case to case, varying number of said recordings in a sequence chosen for each separate case.
Now it oftens occurs that devices--sentinels--monitor a condition, a process or the like in respect to one or several functions and when a limit for a parameter in question is passed gives an alarm or indicating signal to a central supervision place from which action is taken to take care of said passing of the limit.
In, for example, a boiler plant an indicating signal may be emitted when the water level goes down under or goes up over a given limit. From the central supervision place personnel may be sent out to investigate the reason why the automatically maintained water level has passed a predetermined limit. In many cases the limits given for the automatic maintenance of the water level are so narrow that an action is needed only within a relatively long time if the water level after said passing of the limit has a value which only little differs from the limit value. In another case it may be the question of a serious fault and such a rapid change of the water level after the passing of the limit that it is necessary to make a fire-brigade (rapid) departure.
Thus it is a desire to obtain from a supervision center of the described type--and possibly also from other places--a message stating the, for the moment, actual parameter value and for instance get this parameter value via the public telephone system which could be in response to a call to a given telephone number. Hereby the device is put into operation and from the already present recordings those are chosen which correspond to the digital value of the sensed actual parameter and are played back from the recording--together with, for example, common identification information--so that the delivered message gives sufficient information to the supervision center--or a corresponding calling party--for a judgment of the situation and taking the necesary steps. In the earlier example with a boiler plant where there might be given an indication that a water level limit has been passed the following message may be had: "Boiler one water level one point three six meter".
It is evdient that the message contains a number of part-messages (message words or phrases) which exist as previously stored recordings.
For selecting and combining desired parts of those previously stored recordings that are to be included in a delivered message there is provided a programming means and this programming means will get control pulses from the monitored device which has a number of sensing units. These sensing units are influenced by the parameter value given as a digital value. Devices for digitally giving a sensed parameter value are now well known and do not form part of the invention but are means of assistance. Thus it has been considered that in order to explain the present invention there is no need for a detailed account of these devices .